A common method of treating acute, recurrent, and chronic pain is by the topical application of heat to the afflicted area. Such heat treatments are used as therapy for aches, stiffness in muscles and joints, nerve pain, rheumatism and the like. The method for relieving pain often involves topically applying a relatively high heat, e.g., greater than about 40° C., for a short period of time, such as from about twenty minutes to about one hour.
Combinations of elastic wraps and heating pads are available for treating pain. Many of these combination devices use hot water bottles, hot packs, and the like, and are reusable by heating the contents, such as water and/or microwaveable gels. Many such heating devices that require the thermal source to be replenished are inconvenient to use on a regular or extended basis. Further, the heat energy may not be immediately available when needed or released in a controllable manner. Such thermal devices may not provide long lasting heat or maintain a consistent temperature over long periods of time. Proper positioning of the thermal source also may not be maintainable during use. The therapeutic effects from the administration of heat diminish after the heat source is removed.
Disposable heat packs based on iron oxidation, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,366,804, 4,649,895, 5,046,479 and U.S. Pat. No. Re. 32,026, are known. However, many of these devices are bulky, cannot maintain a consistent and controlled temperature, have difficulty staying in place during use, and/or have unsatisfactory physical dimensions that hinder their effectiveness. Such devices cannot be easily incorporated into wrap or tube holders that comfortably conform to various body contours. The devices may thus not deliver consistent, convenient and/or comfortable heat application to the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,413, Davis, et al., discloses that maintaining a sustained skin temperature of from about 32° C. to about 42° C. for a period of greater than about one hour substantially relieves acute, recurrent, and/or chronic pain, including skeletal, muscular, and back pain, and substantially prolongs relief even after the heat source is removed from the body. The patent discloses disposable elastic thermal wraps comprising one or more thermal packs having a plurality of heat cells spaced apart and fixed within or to the structure of the thermal pack. While such disposable elastic thermal wraps can be efficacious, they are designed for single use and can be relatively expensive.
Thus, there is a continuing need for a more convenient, comfortable, reliable and cost effective holder for holding therapeutic and other articles in close bodily contact.